A good read about why corrupt nations are unable to
prosper regardless of the amount of aid they get. I
wonder how much "intangible wealth" the US has lost
in the last 7 years? I like to see numbers being put
on these concepts, because I agree that they are by
far the most important factors in any country's
prosperity.

Excerpt:

A Mexican migrant to the U.S. is five times more
productive than one who stays home. Why is that?The
answer is not the obvious one: This country has
more machinery or tools or natural resources.
Instead, according to some remarkable but largely
ignored research—by the World Bank, of all
places—it is because the average American has
access to over $418,000 in intangible wealth, while
the stay-at-home Mexican's intangible wealth is
just $34,000. Intangible wealth are things like the
trust among people in a society, an efficient
judicial system, clear property rights and
effective government. All this intangible capital
also boosts the productivity of labor and results
in higher total wealth. In fact, the World Bank
finds, "Human capital and the value of institutions
(as measured by rule of law) constitute the largest
share of wealth in virtually all countries."